New Stockton-on-Tees Service
New Stockton-on-Tees Service
July 2014
Earlier in the year ESPA Domiciliary Agency tendered for a contract on the autism Framework with Stockton-on Tees Borough-Council. On 12th June ESPA was awarded the contract to support Daytime Care and Support for 5 highly dependent young men with autism and associated conditions.
Stockton provides the ‘Ware Street Base’ and we are now 4 weeks into the programme. All of the young men live at home with their parents. 3 of the men transitioned from Abbey Hill School in Stockton, 1 man attended the Sheraton Unit which is part of Abbey Hill School Site and 1 young man came from home.
From the start of the contract the ESPA team worked with commissioners, care managers and parents to have the service ready to open 23rd June. The transition involved collaborative working with ESPA staff, the families and school personnel to manage as smooth a transition as possible for the young men. Although there are the usual challenges for any new service we’re all very pleased that it is going extremely well.
In the main the programme involves each of the young men participating in community activities learning social and independent skills. Each of the men are 2:1 in the community. They are picked up by ESPA staff from their homes in the morning. Some of the young men start the day with a community activity while others start at the Ware Street base for individual timetabled activities.
Feedback from the families to Clare, Debra and the team is good and very positive. From relationships already developed with the team and the young men we’re hoping that the programme will be a great success for each of the men. The initial contract with Stockton is for a year. The team is highly motivated, committed, and experienced and they have already created a lovely atmosphere at the base.
We hope to have some photographs of the young men and their service to share with you in our next update
Pauline Shannon
Development Manager